Building construction



Feb. 10, 1970 w. B. NICHOLS 3,494,083

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 19. 1967 A'rromsm United States Patent 3,494,083 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Walter B. Nichols, 77 Lounsbury Road, Trumbull, Conn. 06611 Filed Sept. 19, 1967, Ser. No. 668,818 Int. Cl. E04g 21/14; E04d 15/04, 3/16 US. Cl. 52122 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A roof purlin having a number of rotatable sleeves positioned thereon permanently for facilitating movement of building panels over the purlin during construction. Preferably the sleeves are formed from a low friction material such as nylon or polytetrafiuoroethylene, and to accommodate cables employed in moving the panels over the purlin, the sleeves are formed with a circumferential groove dimensioned to receive the cables. The purlin is removably attached between two structural members to brackets fixed to the structural members. The brackets have sockets receiving the opposite ends of the purlin, and a releaseable locking device is employed to secure the ends of the purlin on the brackets.

SUMMARY OF OBJECTS AND INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in building construction and particularly to the design and assembly of roof purlins in a portable, prefabriated building such as disclosed in my prior copending US. patent application, Ser. No. 631,799, filed Apr. 18, 1967.

Before assembling the roofing panels in the prefabricated building disclosed in the above identified application, the purlins are first secured between primary structural members which in the specific embodiment disclosed are arched ribs. Thepanels are then moved transversely over the purlins into the desired position. In large buildings where the panels are eight feet in length for example, the handling and movement of the panels over the purlins from one side of the building to the other during assembly or disassembly, can present a difiicult task.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to facilitate movement of the aforementioned panels or other similar material over roof purlins during assembly or disassembly of a building structure. Moreover, it is an object to employ an improved purlin design to achieve this end.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved purlin having a feature for guiding and accommodating cables employed with a winch or other similar devices for moving panels over purlins.

A still further object of the present invention is to pro vide a new and improved mounting and locking assembly for releasably securing the opposite ends of the purlin to primary support members of a building or other structure. Included herein is the provision of a locking device which may be quickly and easily operated to secure or release the purlin with respect to the associated structural members to which the purlin is attached. In addition, it is an object to provide such a novel mounting and locking assembly which is reliable and durable and may be manufactured and installed at relatively low cost.

The above objects are achieved by a purlin having a number of cylindrical sleeves permanently mounted about its periphery for rotation relative to the purlin such that roofing panels may be moved over the sleeves with the sleeves acting as rollers. Preferably the sleeves are formed from low friction material such as nylon or polytetrafluoroethylene. Although one such sleeve may be employed at the center of the purlin, it is preferable to employ two sleeves spaced equally on opposite sides of the purlin center. The sleeves are also provided with a circumferential groove dimensioned to receive and guide a cable which may be employed in moving panels over the purlins, such a cable being employed in connection with a winch or other similar device.

To permanently position the sleeves on the purlin a split ring or washer may be mounted on the purlin to engage the opposite ends of the sleeve and thereby limit axial movement along the purlin. In the embodiment where the purlins have a tubular metallic construction, the sleeves may be retained in position by integral radial projections deformed outwardly from the purlins during fabrication so as to engage the opposite ends of the sleeves. Any other suitable retaining means may also be employed.

The mounting and locking devices for releasably securing the opposite end of the purlin to two structural members in a building, each include a bracket fixed to one of the structural members and having a portion projecting transversely to define a socket dimensioned to receive the end of the purlin. The socket has an upwardly facing mouth so that upon assembly, the purlin is inserted into the socket by vertical downward movement through the mouth. Once in the socket, the purlin is locked, in one embodiment, by a slide bolt mounted in the bracket to pass transversely through apertures in the ends of the purlin. In another embodiment, the purlin is locked in the bracket by a sleeve mounted about the purlin and movable axially over the socket portion of the bracket.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description taken in conjunction with the associated drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view with portions broken away, illustrating a purlin embodying the present invention mounted in place between two structural members, a portion of an overlying roofing panel also being shown;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the purlin in assembled position and with portions shown in longitudinal cross-section and with the panels shown in phantom;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmental view taken generally along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2 illustrating a bracket and kicking assembly employed for securing the purlin in p ace;

FIG. 4a, 4b and 4c are sequential assembly views illustrating a locking device representing another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken generally along lines 55 of FIG. 40.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings in detail there is shown in FIG. 1 an improved purlin generally designated 10 embodying the present invention installed between two structural members 12 which support a roofing panel 14; the latter being engaged upon molding strips 16 in the particular embodiment shown. Although only one purlin will be described, it will be appreciated that in a building such as that disclosed in my prior application identified above, each of the purlins employed will have the same improved construction of the present invention now to be described.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, purlin 10 is provided with a number of cylindrical sleeves 20 which are free to rotate about the external periphery of the purlin. Although only one sleeve 20 may be employed at the center of the purlin if desired, it is preferable that two sleeves 20 be employed on opposite sides of the purlin center as shown in FIG. 1. Moreover depending on the length of the purlin and the weight of the panels to be moved over the purlins during assembly, three or more sleeves 20 may be employed within the concept of the present invention.

Sleeves 20 are made from a low friction material such as nylon or polytetrafiuoroethylene marketed under the trademark Teflon. The internal diameter of sleeves 20 is chosen to permit them to rotate freely about the purlin, while at the same time to minimize lateral movement of the sleeve relative to the purlin. The thickness of the sleeves is chosen so that roof panels 14 may be placed on strips 16 without interference from the sleeves. In the specific embodiment shown, panels 14 lightly engage sleeves 20 in their permanent position on structural members 12 as illustrated in FIG. 2.

In order to maintain sleeves 20 permanently in the desired position on the purlin, outwardly extending retaining elements 22 are provided on the purlin to engage the opposite ends of the sleeves to thereby maintain them in the desired position. In the embodiment where the purlin has a metallic tubular construction, these retaining elements may be in the form of integral projections deformed outwardly from the purlin (as illustrated in FIG. 2) during fabrication. However, any other suitable means may be provided to perform the retaining function. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4b, split rings or washers 22b are provided around the purlin to engage the opposite ends of the sleeves.

For use in heavy building construction where winch and cable assemblies are employed to move the panels over the purlins, sleeves 20 are provided with a circumferential groove 24 dimensioned to receive the Winch cable to guide it over the purlins in orderly fashion. However grooves 24 are dimensioned sufiiciently shallow so as not to unduly weaken the sleeve.

It should be understood that sleeves 20 remain permanently on the purlins after the panels are secured in their final positions. In cases where the building is capable of disassembly, sleeves 20 will also facilitate disassembly of the panels 14 from the buildings. After disassembly, the purlins will be stored with their sleeves 20 in permanent positions so as to be reuseable again during the next assembly.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention improved bracket and locking assemblies 30 are provided for releasably securing the opposite ends of the purlin to the structural members 12. In the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 1 to 3, each assembly includes a base 32 secured such as by screws 33 to the side face of the structural members 12. Projecting perpendicularly from base 32 is an arm 34 having a generally U-shape crosssection which defines a socket 36 dimensioned and shaped to receive one end of the purlin. In cases where the purlin has a tubular shape as illustrated, the lower socket surface 36 will be cylindrical in shape to correspond accordingly. The open top portion of arm 34 defines a mouth 38 into the socket 36 such that during assembly, the purlin is moved vertically downwardly into socket 36.

'Once in socket 36, the purlin is locked against movement by means of a slide bolt 40 mounted in apertured lugs 42 to extend across socket 36 through apertures 44 in the arm and apertures 36 in the purlin. Slide bolt mounting lugs 42 are spaced to receive a bolt handle 47 which may be employed to rotate the bolt between a lowered locked position shown in FIG. 3 and a raised position wherein handle 47 projects from slots 48 in the upper ends of lugs 42 to permit bolt 40 to be extended or retracted through the purlin.

To review operation of the locking device in assembling the purlin, bolt 40 is first retracted out of socket 36 by using handle 47. The purlin is then moved vertically downwardly into socket 36, bolt 40 is then extended through apertures 44 and 46 and finally handle 47 is placed downwardly to lock bolt 40 in its restraining position. When it is desired to remove the purlin from socket 36 such as in disassembling an associated building, bolt 40 is merely retracted to free the purlin which then may be lifted out of socket 36. It will be appreciated that bracket 32 remains permanently secured on the structural members 12. Thus the bracket and locking assembly requires no nailing, screwing, or bolting in the field in order to assemble the purlin. Moreover, the bracket and locking device may be used repeatedly during subsequent building constructions and disassemblies.

Referring now to FIGS. 4a, 4b and 40 there is disclosed another embodiment of a bracket and locking assembly wherein the arm 50 defining the socket is generally similar to arm 34 described above with the exception that arm 50 is generally semi-circular rather than U- shaped in cross-section. Instead of employing a slide bolt, the present embodiment employes a locking sleeve 52 which is stored on the end of the purlin as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b. When it is desired to lock the purlin in the socket of arm 50, locking sleeve 52 is merely moved axially over arm 50 and the upper part of the purlin as shown in FIGS. 4c and 5. In the specific form disclosed, locking sleeve 52 has a generally eliptical shape in order to minimize the clearance between locking sleeve 52 and the top surface of purlin 10. In this way, locking sleeve 52 will engage the top of the purlin and press it downwardly into the socket of arm 50.

Any suitable means may be employed to hold the locking sleeve 52 in its retracted or storage position on the purlin. One such means may be an adhesive tape applied partially about the locking sleeve and the purlin so that it may be easily removed in the field to free the locking sleeve for use.

Modifications and adaptations of the present invention readily apparent from the foregoing description and associated drawings, although not specifically mentioned herein, will nevertheless be included within the scope of the present invention as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a frame of a building shelter for housing people or storing objects, the frame including a plurality of spaced structural members and a plurality of purlins extending between the structural members and being fixed thereto with a number of purlins extending in the same direction between the same structural members but being spaced laterally from each other along the length of the structural members, a plurality of continuously annular sleeves received about a number of the purlins extending between the same structural members, said sleeves being located intermediate the ends of the purlins and receiving said purlins to be rotatable relative to the purlins for facilitating movement of panels over the purlins during assembly and disassembly of the panels relative to the purlins during erection and disassembly of the building.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said sleeves are in general alignment with each other and each have a continuously annular groove in the outer surface thereof dimensioned to receive and guide a cable employed in moving panels over the purlins.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 further including a plurality of panels secured over the purlins to provide a cover for the building frame, the thickness of said sleeves being such that portions of the panels engage the outer surfaces of the sleeves.

4. The building frame defined in claim 1 wherein said number of purlins each have means projecting radially therefrom on opposite sides of the associated sleeve to permanently maintain the sleeve on the purlin.

5. The building frame defined in claim 1 wherein said sleeves are made from nylon.

6. The building frame defined in claim 1 wherein said sleeves are formed from polytetrafluoroethylene.

7. The building frame defined in claim 1 wherein each of said number of purlins has two of said sleeves positioned thereon for rotation relative thereto.

8. The building frame defined in claim 1 wherein said sleeves are positioned generally in the center of each of the associated purlins.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 2,964,154 12/1960 Erickson 19335 3,006,382 10/1961 Broome.

FOREIGN PATENTS 5 275,595 5/ 1964 Australia.

748,864 5/ 1956 Great Britain. 900,467 7/ 1962 Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner 10 JAMES L. RIDGILL, JR., Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

